...tolerance and patience.

I'm fascinated by Sarah (Barracuda) Palin's religion. Growing up in a Pentecostal church. The Assembly of God. Where they speak in tongues. Really wild stuff. Which is all right. To each his/her own. A few years ago, when I was wheeling Jeanne around town in a wheelchair, people would come up to me and declare, "God bless you." That included a retired Assembly of God minister. We had some nice discussions about religion. He thought I was going to hell. Because I'm a free-thinker. I started out as a Christian. But grew disenchanted with organized religion. Now I'm what might be called a freelance monotheist. Which means I believe in a god. But I don't let preachers of any religion tell me what I'm supposed to believe. I think for myself. Anyway, this Assembly of God guy wanted to bring me back to Christianity, I guess. His kind of Christianity. I listen. I talk. And I'm polite. I thought for a while I might lure him over to my way of thinking. I really didn't want to do that. Because I respect others' beliefs. There are so many ways. Not just one way. But this guy still thinks there's only one way to salvation. His way. I can't buy into that stuff. After all, my god even saves atheists. He doesn't even require that people believe in god. He saves everyone. Because he is a loving god. He loves everyone. He gives everyone a second chance, a third chance. So many chances. My god never runs out of patience. And that's how I have learned patience. And tolerance. I have been taught directly by god himself. God tells me that true lovers have tolerance and patience. --Jim Broede